BrightFarms opened its largest greenhouse this week. The new 280,000 sq. ft. farm in Selinsgrove, Pa. will deliver over 2 million pounds of fresh, local produce year-round in Pennsylvania and the tri-state area.
Greeting the crowd of 100+ were Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding and Pennsylvania House of Representatives Member David Rowe. Joining the celebration from GIANT Food Stores were Vice President of Fresh Dave Lessard and Category Manager Matt Novosel.
“This sustainable greenhouse farm will provide millions of Pennsylvanians with fresh, safe and clean pesticide-free produce”, said Steve Platt, CEO of BrightFarms. “Building this new farm enables us to keep pace with growing demand for local produce in supermarkets in the region. We are grateful to the state of Pennsylvania and to our loyal grocery store partners, like GIANT, who have been at the forefront of the local produce movement.”
“At GIANT, we pride ourselves on delivering the very best and freshest produce to our customers, and we couldn’t do that without partners like BrightFarms,” said John Ruane, senior vice president of merchandising, GIANT Food Stores. “They share our passion for local produce, people and community, making them the perfect fit for GIANT. We’re excited to be here today to celebrate this milestone alongside them and proud to offer their greens to our customers every day.”
BrightFarms will create over 50 “green collar” jobs in Selinsgrove, each paying a living wage with health benefits. To support the local community, BrightFarms will donate its first harvest to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
“We are very excited to welcome BrightFarms as an innovative job creator and as a generous donor of highly nutritious and locally grown produce,” shared Joe Arthur, Executive Director of Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. “Our Food Bank is committed to consistently providing our clients with healthy ‘foods to encourage’, so leafy greens fit perfectly in our mission.”
In addition to Pennsylvania, the company has farms in Ohio, Illinois and Virginia and plans to open its next greenhouse in North Carolina. By growing close to its consumers, BrightFarms delivers pesticide-free produce in as little as 24 hours after harvest.
For more information:
BrightFarms
www.brightfarms.com